Automobile wheel-rim.



P. B. BGSWORTH.

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL RIM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNB4. 1910.

:535 6.5,' Tweak UNITED S'IATES PATENT OFFICE.

'BERCY IB. .'BOSWORTH, 0F AKRON, OIEIO,l ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRESTON E TIRE 6c RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL-RIM.

,specimen off Letters raient.

Application led June 4, 1910. Serial No. 585,083. l

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, Pintor,y B. Boswoarn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Wheel- Rims, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is twofold, one being the improvement of the tirerims of vehicle-wheels to secure adequate strength for all purposes by the use of a small amount of metal properly distributed in the rim, the other object being an improved means in dcmountably securing tirerims to the fellies of wheels. The latter improvement resides more particularly in the keepers and their seats employed for maintaining in position the locking ring which holds the demountable tire-rim on the Wheel.

To enable those skilled in this art' to have a full and complete understanding of this invention, I have illustrated an embodiment of the same in `the accompanying drawing throughout the various views of which like reference characters refer to the same parts. In this drawing,--Figure 1 is a Section through the felly or rim portion of a wheel embodyingl the features of novelty and `improvement constituting the essence 0f this invention; Fig. 2 is a similar, fragmentary section, showing one of the dowel.. pins for preventing circumferential travel of the tirerim around the wheel; Fig.. 3 is a similar, fragmentary section at the valve-stem; Fig. el is a fragmentary side elevation of a wheel embodying the features of this invention; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the 40 felly portion of such al wheel, showing the` Q relative locations of the apertures for the valve-stem and the dowel pins; Fig. 6 is a fra'glnentar View similar to Fig. 1, illus- .ltrating the eeperin operative position; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of such a keeper; and Fig.v 8 is a perspective View of the seat with whichsuch keeper is intended and adapted to cooperate. ,c

.By reference to the drawings, it will be 5U apparent that the pneumatic or other resili 'cnt tlirc 10 is mounted'on a metallic tire-rim l1 having at one edge a hook-shaped portion l2engaging one of the beads of the tire, and

,havi g at itsiopposite edgewa depressed groove/13 accommodating a split locking forming a part of this specification, and

ring 14. employed for the purpose of maintaining a. removable tire-flange 15 1n hold- Patented July 2,1912.

ing engagement with the other bead of the tire. These features of the rim which per- `mit a ready and quick detachment. of the tiret form the subject mattei' of another co-pend-` ing application, Serial No. 534,878.

It has been customary heretofore torivet4 or otherwise secure to the inner cylindrical face ofthe tire-rim a metallic ring or plurality of blocks oppositely beveled on their opposite sides to provide inclined seats for the proper mounting of the rim on the ,wheel I have found, however, that a stronger construction, one also more economical in the employment of metal, may be had byproviding or forming-such inclined or beveled seats or faces on the rim itself, rather than on added or supplementary rlngs or blocksv fastened thereto. Accordingly, in a rlm cmbodying this invention. a pair ol internal" ribs 16 and 17 are formed lintegrally with the rim l1, the metal of such rim being so proportioned and disposed that these ribs will be of substantial body and will he connectedv together by a central bridge portion 18, relatively thin, and consequently comparatively weak in strength, because, since the ribs constitute the mounting means or seats for the rim, they take substantially all the strains and stresses, and for that reason the greater portion of the metal is embodied in such ribs: This construction of rim'lcaves ay substantial cavity (ir-annular recess lf) between the ribs, as is clearly indicated in the 'various figures. As is shown, the two ribs 1G and 17 have their faces oppositely beveled or 4inclined at S20 and Qi..

On the periphery of the wheel-folly 22, I mount the metallic fixed or wheel rim 22' havin" at one edge a flange or rib li with anY (n'lter inclined` face 25 with which the face 20 of rib l6` is adapted to coiipcrate. The opposite. edge of the fixed rim 225 is beveled or inclinedat 26 for the accommodation between itself and the face of rib 17 of a securing or locking ring 270i' triangularshape in cross section, the two beveled faces of such ring being adapted to bear against the surfaces 21 and QG. This locking ring may or maynot be split, but, in order that .the diameter of the same may be slightly varied, in practice, suel1.rings are ordiversely` through apertures in the felly 22,- such bolts at one end Ahaving heads 29 shaped to conform to the outer* face of the fellyV and to the corresponding portion of the fixed rim 23, the heads of such bolts being desirably held from displacementby means of wood screws 30 extended therethrough into the telly proper. The shanks of such bolts are threaded, and between the lo nut 3l of each of such bolts and the corresponding side of the telly I employ a keeper 32 slotted at 33 and having at its outer or enlarged end a bearing face 34 adapted to press against th'e outer flat `face of the 'locking ring 27. Near its opposite end, and on the same side, the keeper is equipped with a rounded integral rib 35, the opposite edge portions 36 and 37 of which are rather abrupt with respect to the adjacentsurface of the keeper, that is, they are disposed substantially at rightangles thereto. Between such ribs 4 35 and the adjacent end of the keeper is a-{iat shoulder 38.` Each of such keepers-is supplied with a seat 39 securedA bysuitable screws 40 to the face of the fell'y,`

each of such seats being recessed at 4l for the accommodation of the bolt, and being bent or curved outwardly at its inner edge to provide a curved rib 42 of substantially the saine curvature as the rib 35"of the keeper, andhavinga Hat outer face er surface 43. Keepers and seats of thisgeneral kind and style have been heretofore employed in connection with the locking or securing ringsvof demountable tire-rims, but in all of such styles, as far as I am advised, when the nut is loosened or slacked away, there is a considerable tendency and likelihood for the keeper to turn about the bolt andoverlap the locking ring, when it should be free therefrom to permit ready removal of such ring. This is lsomewhat o an annoying occurrence, and by constructing the keepers and seats'v in accordance with .the

45 principles of this invention, the keepers are readily kept from such objectionable displacement or turning. When the keeper is in operative position, as shown in Fig. l, the rib Si'sr seated on the curved face of the rib 42 of seat-39,- and there is but little tend- {e/ncy o'r occasion for the keeper orvturn under such circumstances, because the nut is ordinarily screwed uptight against the same. When the nut is backeolawayv to permit demounting of the tire and rim, the Akeepers are slid inwardly toward the axis of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 6, to freethe vlocking ring 27, and itis under such circum- 1 stancesthat the l,detrimental and `objection!` fablesy rotary movement of the keeper 5 il'elyzto, occur. In {my-improved 'constructionghowever, owing Ito the fact that the top Vor outenface 43 of the rib 4 2 "is at,'there isbut little tendency forA the rib 35 to ride oveiathesarne, which is necessary if the keeper is to turn as indicated, this being particularly true because of the cooperation of the abrupt surface' 36 with the inclined or curved face 44 of rib 42, the curvature or inclination of which is such as to readily prevent the riding over of the rib 35, so

that these keepers when pushed inwardly,

as shown in Fig. 6, may be readily held in such position by the nuts, which are slightly tightened, and the operator is freed from the annoyance of the keepers turning to partiallyor slightly overlap the locking ring which he is removing It will, of course, be readily understood that the curved face of the rib 42 affords a neat and effective seat for the rib 35 of the keeper while the latter is being 'forced into or is being held in clamping relation withI the locking ring.

In orderto prevent creeping of the tirerim around the wheel, I provide the same with a pair of dowel pins 45 disposed on opposite sides of the valve-stem opening 4G. and adapted to be received in holes or apertures 4'( in the liked or wheel rim on opposite sides of the hole 48 of the elly, through which the valve-stem 49 is adapted to pass.

To those skilled in this art it will be apparent that by forming and shaping t-he removable tire-rim so that it will have seatribs on its inner face of, substantial body, such ribs being connected by a relativelythin bridge portion, the tire-rim may be made of less metal than has heretofore been customary, without the sacrifice of strength.

without the sacrifice of material benefits and advantages.

Although I have shownv and described the Y use of two dowel-pins for preventing cir; cumferent-ial travel of the removable tirerim from the wheel or fixed rim, it is to be .understood that one pin alone may be used,

if desired, or any other suitable means employed for accomplishing the same purpose.

I claim:-

1. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of a fixed rim, aremovable rim, a locking ring adapted to' o o-act with said removable rim to hold the same in place on the xed rim, a slotted slidable keeper coperating with said lookin ring, a seat for said keeper on `the wheelelly, saidikeeper-having a rib adapted to rest on said seat, thelatter hav- A ing a ange on its 'portion'toward the axis of thewheel constituting therest for the,

keeper, thatV surface Aoff-said Harige nearer gage the said said axis being turned outwardly away fromthe adjacent face of the felly beneath it, and holding Ameans for vsaid keeper, sub# 'stantially as described. p

2. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of .a fixed rim,

a removable rim, a locking ring adapted to co-act with said removable rimto hold the same in place on the fixed rim, an apertured keeper cooperating with said locking ring, a seat for said keeper on the wlieel-elly, said keeper haviniy a ribl adapted to rest on said seat, and said seat being of substantially uniform thickness and having a fiange at one edge formed b curving Vup a portion of the seat, and holt ing means for said keeper, substantially as described.

3., In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of a fixed rim, a removable rim, a locking ring adapted to co-act with said removable rim to hold the same in place on the fixed rim, a slotted slidable keeper coperating with said locking rin a seat having an outwardly projectin ange for supportingsaid keeper on the' W eel elly, said keeper having a rib adapted' to rest on said seat, the faces of said rib on opposite sides being dis `osed relative to the face of the keeper to a teriiately enfiange 'from above and below the same, and holding means for said keeper, substantially as described. y

4. In a vehicle Wheel, the combination of a fixed rim, a removable rim, a locking ring ada ted to co-act with said removable rim to the same in place. on the fixed rim,I a slidable keeper cooperating with said locking ring and havin a rib, a. seat for 4the keeper on the wheel elly with which said rib is ada ted to'coact, said seat having a flange, sai rib and fiaii e. coperating to permit a freer movement o the keeper over the'fiange when'shifted toward the axes of the rims from said axes, and keeper, substantially thanwhen moved awa holding means for sai as described;

ring and having on the wheel telly with which said rib is 5. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of a fixed rim, a removable rim,y a locking ring ada ted to co-act with said removable rim to hold) the saine in place on the fixed rim, a slidable keeper cooperating with said locking a rib, a seat for the' keeper adapted to cooperate, said seat having a flange, said rib being disposed on one side of the flange when the keeper is in ring-engaging position and on the other side when rering, and holding means for said keeper, substantially as described.

In a vehicle wheel, the combination of a` fixed rim, a removable rim, a locking ring ada ted to co-act with said removable rim to hold) the same in place-oli the fixed rim, a slidable keeper coiipeiatin ing ring and having a ri a seat for the keeper on the wheel telly with which said rib is adapted to co-i'ict', 'said seat having a flange, the upper and lower surfaces of which extend lin the sanie'general direction, said rib and flange cooperatingA toA ermit a freer movement of the keeper over tiie flange when shifted toward the axes of the rims than when moved away from. such axes, and holding means for said keeper, substantially as described.

7 In a lvehicle wheel, the combination of a wheel rim., a separate tire rim, and means for removably seciiringthetire rim on' the wheel rim, including a keeper operatively associated with the tire rim, aseat for said keeper and cooperating fianges or ribs on the seat and keeper engaging in one position to maintain the keeper in its active osition and in another position to maintain te keeper in its inactive position.

PERCY B. BOSWORTH.'

Witnesses:

HENRY M. HUXLEY, WALTER M. FULLER.

tracted to permit `removal of the locking with said lockp 

